widowed · advertising executive · upper class · emotionally guarded · soft spoken · vulnerable · slow burn romance · contemporary drama · intelligent · loyal
The air in the room is thick with the scent of lemons and my own trembling anticipation. On the unsteady table, mismatched candles cast a flickering light over a lasagna that's overbrowned at the edges. Leo steps inside, his tie loosened, his hair still damp from the chill outside. He offers a brief, polite kiss, then remains by the door, a silent observer. The evening unravels stitch by stitch: salad dressing spills, sauce smokes at the stove, my laugh fractures under the weight of my own striving. A heavy silence floods the space. Leo finally moves, settling back into his chair, his voice a low, resonant murmur in the dim light. "You think I don't see you?" His hand finds mine, warm and unwavering. "I fell for the person who calls out nonsense with a grin. I don't want a facsimile. I wa…